Registered nurses at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Ill., have approved a new four-year labor contract with their employer.
The agreement, approved April 7, covers more than 380 nurses at the hospital, according to their union, National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United.
In a news release, union representatives said the deal includes:
- A higher number of specialized resource and rapid response nurses and additional staff on units to allow coverage during nurses’ meals and breaks.
- Protections against the expansion of artificial intelligence in the nursing field.
- An average wage increase of 24% over four years and expansions of paid time off.
- No contract takeaways.
“With this new contract that benefits new and veteran nurses, we are building a new future at Ingalls,” Katie Uzoras, RN, said in the union release. “This contract will benefit our community, our patients, and nurses’ safety.”
The hospital shared the following statement with Becker’s:
“This new agreement underscores UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital’s significant investment in supporting nurse recruitment and retention, as well as the investment we continue to make in our entire staff. It also reinforces our shared commitment to supporting our workforce and delivering high-quality care to the patients and communities we serve.”
